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Macrophages largely contribute to heterologous anti‐ Propionibacterium acnes antibody‐mediated protection from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection in mice
Author(s) -
Ma Qiuyue,
Sun Changjiang,
Yang Feng,
Wang Lei,
Qin Wanhai,
Xia Xiaojing,
Feng Xin,
Du Chongtao,
Gu Jingmin,
Han Wenyu,
Lei Liancheng
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/1348-0421.12240
Subject(s) - actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae , propionibacterium acnes , microbiology and biotechnology , macrophage , biology , antibody , phagocytosis , actinobacillus , alveolar macrophage , immunology , bacteria , serotype , in vitro , biochemistry , genetics
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of acute and chronic pleuropneumonia. Propionibacterium acnes is a facultative anaerobic gram‐positive corynebacterium. We have previously found that anti‐ P. acnes antibodies can prevent A. pleuropneumoniae infections in mice. To investigate the role of macrophages in this process, affinity‐purified anti‐ P. acnes IgG and anti‐ A. pleuropneumoniae IgG were used in opsonophagocytosis assays. Additionally, the efficacy of passive immunization with P. acnes serum against A. pleuropneumoniae was tested in macrophage‐depleted mice. It was found that anti‐ P. acnes IgG had an effect similar to that of anti‐ A. pleuropneumoniae IgG ( P > 0.05), which significantly promotes phagocytosis of A. pleuropneumoniae by macrophages ( P < 0.01). It was also demonstrated that, after passive immunization with anti‐ P. acnes serum, macrophage‐replete mice had the highest survival rate (90%), whereas the survival rate of macrophage‐depleted mice was only 40% ( P < 0.05). However, macrophage‐depleted mice that had been passively immunized with naïve serum had the lowest survival rate (20%), this rate being lower than that of macrophage‐replete mice that had been passively immunized with naïve serum. Overall, anti‐ P. acnes antibodies did not prevent A. pleuropneumoniae infection under conditions of macrophage depletion ( P > 0.05). Furthermore, in mice that had been passively immunized with anti‐ P. acnes serum, macrophage depletion resulted in a greater A. pleuropneumoniae burden and more severe pathological features of pneumonia in lung tissues than occurred in macrophage‐replete mice. It was concluded that macrophages are essential for the process by which anti‐ P. acnes antibody prevents A. pleuropneumoniae infection in mice.